Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
6:32 pm Thursday, August 12, 2004

Excellence in Education

By Staff
August 12, 2004
Kimberly Griffin of Meridian is the recipient of the Mae Carroll Thornton Mother's Day scholarship at Meridian Community College. The $600 award is funded through the MCC Foundation.
Dr. William L. Thornton initiated this scholarship in 1993 as a way to honor his wife.
Griffin graduated from the Respiratory Care Practitioner Program in May 2004. A graduate of Leake Academy, she was a member of the Student Council and Students Against Drunk Drivers.
She also garnered first place in the State Health Occupation Students of America competition. Griffin is married and has 4-month-old daughter, Gracie. Her plans are to pursue a career in respiratory care.
Mary Kathryn Covert and Phillip Martin Swatzfager, both of Meridian, were named to the dean's list for the spring semester at Samford University.
Covert is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Frank Covert. Swatzfager is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Harrison Swartzfager.
Lindley Williams, a student at Poplar Springs Elementary, was recently awarded first place at the Mississippi State Department of Education's Reading Fair in Jackson. To compete at the state level, students must win first place at their school, district and regional levels. Williams was presented with a $50 savings bond and coupons for ice cream.
Megan Merenko of Daleville has been selected to receive the Meridian Exchange Club/Bo Russell Memorial Scholarship at Meridian Community College. She will be returning as the sophomore recipient.
Merenko has completed 29 hours at MCC with a 4.0 grade point average. She was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two- year college students. She was recently accepted into the Physical Therapist Assistant program at MCC.
Jared Benjamin Doner of Bailey was named one of the country's most outstanding campus leaders by Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. He was nominated by Meridian Community College.
The honor is awarded to students who display outstanding achievements in scholarly endeavors and who also participate and exercise leadership in extracurricular activities.
Over the past 38 years, the Who's Who program has honored and rewarded the individual scholastic excellence of outstanding campus leaders. This prestigious award is one of the greatest honors annually conferred by the American academic community.
Doner joins an elite group of students selected from institutions of higher learning throughout the United States. He is the son of Timothy and Janet Doner.

Also on Franklin County Times
Russellville to host MLK march on Monday
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Franklin County Martin Luther King Memorial Scholarship Committee is planning its annual commemoration march, which this year will ...
Career tech programs return to remodeled RHS building
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Students at Russellville High School returned from winter break last week to a newly remodeled and expanded Career Technical Education ...
Dowdy sentence delayed
Main, News, Russellville
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The sentencing of Brandy Dowdy will have to wait until another day after her defense attorney suffered a “medical emergency.” Dowdy’s s...
MLK march is about ‘keeping the dream alive’
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Rev. B.J. Bonner was 11 years old in the summer of 1963 when the civil rights movement reshaped the South and communities across Al...
FCREA finalizes 2025, looks ahead to 2026
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 14, 2026
There are moments in our meetings that stay with you long after the chairs are folded and the dishes are washed. One of those moments came in November...
This year, let’s resolve to be more involved
Columnists, Opinion
January 14, 2026
Stop eating desserts. Go to the gym every day. Read 50 books this year. Learn a language. Start my retirement savings. Every year we make our resoluti...
RHS track looks ahead to state meet
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville High School track athletes have posted multiple top 10 and top 20 section finishes this season, along with podium performa...
Vote of Red Bay budget delayed until February
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RED BAY — City councilmembers will vote next month on the 20025–26 fiscal year budget. Mayor Mike Shewbart told the council last week the budget was n...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *